Darkness Rising

CHAPTER [ 12 ] MORNING AFTER

The energy around the dining room table was tense.

Even a night's worth of rest hadn't lessened Lenore's anger. She had woken to the smell of bacon and a mind filled with racing thoughts. The sight of Kaiser sitting relaxed with a steaming cup of coffee, his face stuffed into a newspaper only made her angrier. Such normal behavior after kidnapping and torturing someone to near death—it made her skin crawl.

Or maybe it was the fact that he had made a deal with that bastard and let him go. Lenore wanted him dead, like the rest. She glowered across the table at Kaiser, wishing she could burn holes through the damned paper.

He must have received her emotions again because Kaiser lowered the newspaper, folding it neatly. He lifted his gaze to Lenore and said, "You seem a bit upset."

"Do I? Wow! You're a fucking genius."

Patrick nearly spilled the orange juice he was pouring. He looked between the two of them and appeared ready to grab his breakfast and flee. Camila was quick to react, reaching for his plate at the same time–the two yanking it back and forth for a moment.

"Just sit down and eat you damn food!" Lenore snapped, stabbing her fork into the table and causing the tableware to rattle.

The group went still and all eyes turned toward her. She ignored them and yanked her fork free then began to angrily eat the pile of fluffy, yellow eggs before her.

"What's there to be upset about, love? Everything is going according to plan."

"What plan are we talking about exactly? The one we're all in on? or the secret plan that you seem to be working out?"

Kaiser's eyes slitted at her question and Lenore's heart began to beat a bit harder. She knew her attitude was taking her dangerously close to the edge of his patience. "Do you think you had it in you to kill that Apostle?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't be making deals with him." 

"Nowhere in the deal did I say he would survive."

"You cleansed his blessing, Kaiser!"

"I did."

Her fork dropped to her plate with a loud clatter. "You healed him after torturing him. He left you in better condition than when he arrived!"

"You're only proving that my manipulation worked perfectly."

"What?"

Kaiser leaned forward, a slow grin creeping over his face. "You thought that I was willing to spare his life if it meant I could get rid of the rest, correct? That's why you're so mad. It's likely that he believes this as well. In fact, I wanted him to believe that because that means he will never suspect us to double cross him, and won't try to double cross us either."

Lenore stared at him, blinking slowly. "You wanted me to believe it too?"

"You weren't part of the original plan but when you showed up I thought you might be useful. What better way to deceive your enemy, than by deceiving your ally as well?" he said, looking rather satisfied with himself. 

"You're scary brilliant, Boss," Camila said, eyes gleaming with admiration. Patrick nodded his head in agreement as he shoveled a large piece of pancake into his mouth. 

 Kaiser held Lenore's gaze like he was waiting for her to do something more; say something more. She was still angry but for an entirely different reason now. "You won't hear any praise from me."

"Hmm? I don't know. We've got time."

She opened her mouth to respond but the front door opened with a loud creak, ending whatever she had been prepared to say. Emilio stepped into the room, pulling the baseball cap from his head.